There is a plaque in front of this building that now houses a social services agency memorializing that Billie Holiday had lived there when it was the Douglas Hotel. That is something in itself. But so much more could be included. The Douglas Hotel later contained the Showboat Jazz Theater, where many legendary performers played, including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Fats Domino, Aretha Franklin, Lou Rawls, Thelonius Monk, Dinah Washington and Ramsey Lewis. Still later, as the Bijou Cafe, it hosted Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Steely Dan, Prince, Jonathan Richman, Tom Waits, Jerry Seinfeld, and U2, to name a few. [Some comments below were corrupted and attempts to clarify were made. Also, links are in the comments to a weather report showing that it was the Dec 15 80 U2 show that was on a snowy night, and to DJ Helen Leicht's page and to a Drexel Triangle review showing that the Mar 4 81 performance was the crowded U2 concert.] [Because U2 seems to be what so many viewers are interested in, here is what I know to date: After reviewing listings and accounts on newspapers.com and setlist Websites, I believe that U2 was not in the USA on 10/10/79 (which did have an early snowfall in Philly, though). U2 opened for Barooga Bandit at the Bijou on the night of an early snowfall, 12/15/80, see, for ex., The Morning Call (Allentown) of that date at p. 46 and listings in Philly papers at newspapers.com, for ex., Phila. Inquirer 12/14/80 at Wknd 2. Curiously, the night before, 12/14/80, the members of U2 had an altercation among themselves at Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT, see U2setlists.com. 3/4/81 had U2 again at the Bijou, with City Thrills opening, see Inquirer 3/10/81 at 7C. I can’t confirm U2 opening for Fandango. I had attended both Bijou U2 shows, and had photographed the band in a lounge-type room after the 3/4/81 show for Terminal! magazine. -- Edit. 10/10/19.] More history is available at https://www.inquirer.com/food/inq2/ha-winston-86d-restaurant-20220901.html, at the bottom of the article, which features the Spivak ownership of this location.
| Publication date | Jun 24, 2018 |
There is a plaque in front of this building that now houses a social services agency memorializing that Billie Holiday had lived there when it was the Douglas Hotel. That is something in itself. But so much more could be included. The Douglas Hotel later contained the Showboat Jazz Theater, where many legendary performers played, including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Fats Domino, Aretha Franklin, Lou Rawls, Thelonius Monk, Dinah Washington and Ramsey Lewis. Still later, as the Bijou Cafe, it hosted Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Steely Dan, Prince, Jonathan Richman, Tom Waits, Jerry Seinfeld, and U2, to name a few. [Some comments below were corrupted and attempts to clarify were made. Also, links are in the comments to a weather report showing that it was the Dec 15 80 U2 show that was on a snowy night, and to DJ Helen Leicht's page and to a Drexel Triangle review showing that the Mar 4 81 performance was the crowded U2 concert.] [Because U2 seems to be what so many viewers are interested in, here is what I know to date: After reviewing listings and accounts on newspapers.com and setlist Websites, I believe that U2 was not in the USA on 10/10/79 (which did have an early snowfall in Philly, though). U2 opened for Barooga Bandit at the Bijou on the night of an early snowfall, 12/15/80, see, for ex., The Morning Call (Allentown) of that date at p. 46 and listings in Philly papers at newspapers.com, for ex., Phila. Inquirer 12/14/80 at Wknd 2. Curiously, the night before, 12/14/80, the members of U2 had an altercation among themselves at Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT, see U2setlists.com. 3/4/81 had U2 again at the Bijou, with City Thrills opening, see Inquirer 3/10/81 at 7C. I can’t confirm U2 opening for Fandango. I had attended both Bijou U2 shows, and had photographed the band in a lounge-type room after the 3/4/81 show for Terminal! magazine. -- Edit. 10/10/19.] More history is available at https://www.inquirer.com/food/inq2/ha-winston-86d-restaurant-20220901.html, at the bottom of the article, which features the Spivak ownership of this location.
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